The Hacker Tool Law in Effect

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Today in Germany the Hacker Tool Law goes into effect. With the official name of Paragraph 202C it states that it is illegal to possess, use, produce, or distribute a "hacker tool".

In theory, law enforcement could come and arrest everyone here at Chaos Communications Camp. A group of hackers gathered in solidarity to protest this law. Hackers in Germany have been protesting the making of this law for the past year and are stunned that it passed and has gone into effect.

The term "hacker tool" is left vague. Nmap or other network monitoring system could fall into this category. Software likeKismac, a wifi detection software, closed down today. Phenoelit, a hacker group, also closed down shop and saying goodbye to Germany.


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Posted by: blasterx on August 11, 2007 at 7:27 AM

You have to wonder what is going thru the minds of the law makers when they pass something like this. With so many ways to abuse this law to punish the innocent.

I guess this is not he first time Germany has passed laws without thinking about the consequences and how they would effect certain portions of their population...


Posted by: crownjewel82 on August 11, 2007 at 8:25 AM

You know, it would be nice if politicians actually had to know something about what they were making decisions on. If they did then maybe they'd know that they've just made a decision tantamount to universally outlawing explosives. Hopefully they're repeal it when they realize they've crippled an entire industry.


Posted by: TomAnderson on August 11, 2007 at 9:11 AM

Perhaps an asylum claim based on this law would draw attention to the issue. IANAL but I have heard that asylees are eligable to work in the US.


Posted by: Tercero on August 11, 2007 at 10:32 AM

How did we slip from Democracies to plutocratic societies in the past 100 years? Seems the whole world is trying to govern itself out of existence. Makes me ashamed that our parents and grandparents fought against this type of tyranny only to have it come full circle.


Posted by: rich.thomas on August 11, 2007 at 5:17 PM

Germany is the type of "progressive" society/government that many in the US country would like to emulate. Here is a good example of what you get with dumb nannies trying to rule your life.


Posted by: pvlman on August 12, 2007 at 10:34 AM

Actions as these are NOT what the majority of progressives in the USA are about. More often than not,"follow the money", the apparent plutocracies another alluded to.


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